In the 1840s, westward expansion led Americans to acquire all lands from the Atlantic to Pacific in a movement called Manifest Destiny

In the 1840s, westward expansion led Americans to acquire all lands from the Atlantic to Pacific in a movement called Manifest Destiny Obvious Future Americans flooded into the West for new economic opportunities The U.S. gained Texas, Oregon, California, and other territories through treaty or war

When Americans were colonists (1607-1783), the western border was the Appalachian Mountains

After the Revolutionary War, the western border of the U.S. was the Mississippi River

Lewis and Clark s exploration confirmed the economic potential of the western territory Jefferson s Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the USA

The growth of King Cotton and commercial farming led to a desire for more western lands

Changes in the early Antebellum era (1800-1840), encouraged westward expansion in the 1840s Improved transportation such as canals, steamboats, & railroads increased speed & profitability

The journey West was dangerous and unpredictable, yet thousands of Americans traveled along the Oregon, Santa Fe, and Mormon Trails

Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way Emanuel Leutze, 1862

The earliest pioneers were fur traders, land speculators, and poor farmers looking for cheap land Soon, farmers, miners, ranchers, and religious groups flooded West

The Oregon Trail led thousands of farmers to the fertile lands of Oregon in the 1840s

The Santa Fe Trail allowed the U.S. to sell goods to Mexico

After Joseph Smith s murder in Illinois, Brigham Young led the Mormons to create a new settlement in Utah

Westward expansion brought conflict with Indians, such as the Black Hawk War, as trails disrupted hunting grounds and violated previous treaties

In the 1840s, America realized its manifest destiny by acquiring all lands to the Pacific Ocean In 1845, the USA annexed the independent nation of Texas In 1846, the U.S. settled a dispute with England to gain Oregon In 1848, the USA gained new lands in the SW by winning the Mexican- American War

In 1821, Mexico won independence from Spain and the new Mexican gov t welcomed Americans into Texas by offering cheap land Stephen F Austin became one of the wealthiest Anglos in Texas

Americans refused to accept Mexican laws They would not convert to Catholicism They would not accept a ban on slavery They wanted a voice in Mexican government

By 1834, Mexican president Santa Anna began to view Anglos as a threat and had Austin arrested In 1835, Texans were in open rebellion against the Mexican government

Texans lost at the Alamo, but the battle created inspiration: Remember the Alamo!

Texans, led by Sam Houston, captured Santa Anna and won their independence in 1836

From 1836 to 1845, Texas was an independent nation; Sam Houston was the first president of the Republic of Texas In 1838, Houston invited the USA to annex Texas, but the debate over slavery kept America from adding Texas as a state

Democrat James K. Polk won the election of 1844 and became the Manifest Destiny president He urged Congress to make Texas the 28 th U.S. state in 1845 He wanted to end British claims to Oregon

When Texas was admitted into the Union in 1845, it came in as a slave state To make Northerners happy, President Polk wanted to add Oregon as a free state, but

But, the U.S. and Britain compromised, divided Oregon along 49 parallel, and Oregon became was a free territory in 1846 jointly occupied by the USA & Britain Oregon residents & President Polk demanded the entire Oregon territory: 54 40 or fight!

When Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836, the 2 sides disagreed over the territorial borders of the Republic of Texas When the U.S. annexed Texas 9 years later, this land claim was not settled

The Mexican-American War (1846 1848) This dispute led to the Mexican-American War from 1846 to 1848 In 1846, President Polk sent General Zachary Taylor across the Rio Grande River which provoked Mexico into war

The U.S. quickly John won C Fremont the Mexican The won War Mexican-American in California War Zachary Taylor won in northern Mexico Stephen Kearney captured New Mexico Winfield Scott captured Mexico City

The Mexican-American War ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in 1848 The USA gained all of Texas to the Rio Grande River Mexico gave up (ceded) territory in the Southwest, called the Mexican Cession 5 years later, the U.S. bought the Gadsden Purchase for $10 million to build a southern railroad

Manifest Destiny in the 1840s

In the 1830s, Mexico offered cheap land to American ranchers & farmers to move to California When the Mexican War broke out in 1846, Californians revolted from Mexican rule and created an independent nation The California Republic was annexed by the USA as part of the Mexican Cession in 1848

The discovery of gold in San Francisco led to a flood of Americans to California in 1849 Forty-Niners hoping to strike it rich came from the East, Latin America, Europe, & Asia

The California gold rush led to a population boom in the West America: Story of US (Gold Rush)